Divine Exchange

The place fellowship with God in prayer, is a place of exchange!

i. We exchange our weakness for His Strength.

The Bible says, God gives power to the weak, and increases strength to those who have no might (v.29). Our natural strength, at its peak, is limited, and can only take us so far- “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. (Is. 40:3031). To renew means, to change; therefore, as we 'wait on" the Lord; we change our natural strength, for His supernatural strength! We get fresh strength, so we don"t faint as we run.

We need strength:

a. To do the will of God. Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane, before His crucifixion; and there He prayed earnestly to the Father. The Bible says an angel from heaven then came to strengthen Him, and He prayed more earnestly that His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:39-44). The best of human intentions and the most powerful human will aren"t sufficient to do the will of God; we need His strength to do His will! The apostle Paul prayed that God would grant the Ephesians according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. (Eph. 3:16).

b. To overcome the works of the enemy- designed to stop us from doing the will of God and from fulfilling destiny! “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers

of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph. 6:10-13). Paul said a messenger of satan was sent to harass him; he begged the Lord to take it from him, and the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9a). We shouldn"t be overcome by the enemy or by our challenges; because the One who lives in us, is greater than him, and we can also do all things through Christ who strengthens us. So it"s never due to a shortage or failure of power on God"s part, whenever we are defeated or overcome. The Bible says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” (Prov. 24:10); but God didn"t intend for us to rely on our own natural strength. The psalmist said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.” (Ps. 27:1-3).

c. To overcome the weakness of the flesh- so we aren"t hindered from doing God"s will. Jesus said, anyone who desires to come after Him, should deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Him. (Matt. 16:24). Apostle Paul said, he disciplines his body and bring it into subjection, lest

after preaching to others, he should become disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:27). One of the ways we can discipline the flesh is by fasting. (Ps. 35:13b; 109:24). We are told to crucify the flesh, because satan usually works through our flesh. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can put to death the desires of the flesh (Rom. 8:13) - not in our own strength. This is why many are defeated in their 'struggle" against the flesh. Paul said to the Galatians, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16). Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41). Unfortunately, the disciples slept while Jesus was in prayers to the Father! Could that be the reason why Peter didn"t overcome the temptation to deny Christ? The Bible says we have a High Priest who understands “our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation”; we should therefore come boldly to the throne of grace to receive grace to help us whenever we need it. (Heb. 4:15-16 AMP). We need grace, to overcome sin- “where sin abounds, Grace abounds much more! (Rom. 5:20). We need grace to forgive others, just as God forgave us, in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 4:32). We can"t do this in our natural strength; truly, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21c). Like the saying, "To err is human, to forgive divine.” We are actually acting in a godlike (divine) way, when we forgive others. We need grace to help us walk in love as Christ loved and gave Himself for us- as imitators of God. (Eph. 5:1-2). Christ commanded that we love one another as He has loved us. (John 15:12). Notice that the old commandment said to love others as ourselves; but the new says to love others as Christ has loved us! Therefore Christ, and not us, is the standard and focus in the new commandment; and this can only be done by His grace.

d. To move "mountains". “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” (Zech. 4:6-7). Mountains represent those things that are standing in front of us- between us and what we need or desire. Mountains are oppositions, hindrances, challenges, etc. They cannot be moved by our natural power or might; but by the Holy Spirit- who is the Spirit of might! (Is. 11:2).

ii. We can exchange our sense of guilt and condemnation for His forgiveness and righteousness.

(Rom. 8:2,31-34; 1 John 1: 9) We can exchange our sense of shame for His glory; our feelings of rejection, for a knowing that we are loved and accepted in the beloved. (John 17:22; Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:6) We can exchange our sense of failure and defeat; for His victory. (Rom. 8:37; 1 John 5:4,5). We can exchange our doubts, fears, and insecurities; for His assurance and confidence. (Heb. 11:1; 1 John 5:21) We can exchange our confusion; for His direction and purpose. (Rom. 8:28,29; Heb. 12:1-4; James 1:5) We can exchange our worries, anxieties, agitation and cares, for His joy and peace. (Phil. 4:6,7; 1 Pet. 5:7) We can exchange our hurts and pains; for His healing and strength. (Is. 61:1-3) We can exchange our sicknesses and diseases for health and wholeness. (Is. 53:4,5; Ps. 103:3b; Matt. 8:16-17) We can exchange our weariness, for His rest. (Matt. 11:28-29; Ps. 23:2-3). The list is endless.

iii. A "rubbing off” on us.

To rub off on, is for something to become part of someone because they"ve been in a place where it was present. It is usually said about a quality, skill, condition, or interest. People pick up the qualities or characteristics of others, because they have been with them and learned from them. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” (Prov. 13:20)

The genuine faith which first dwelt in his grandmother Lois and then in his mother Eunice, was in Timothy also. (2 Tim. 1:5). Elijah told Elisha that he could only receive the double portion of his spirit, if Elisha sees him when he is taken away! (2 Kings 2:10). Elisha knew that the secret was to stay in fellowship with Elijah; and it was “as they both continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and Elisha saw Elijah as he went up by a whirlwind into heaven...” The other sons of prophets acknowledged that the spirit of Elijah was now resting on Elisha! As we stay in Fellowship with God, His qualities and characteristics will begin to rub off on us; and others around us will begin to see the difference in our lives. When Moses came down from the mountain, after spending forty days and night in God"s presence, his face shone; the Israelites saw the radiance of his face, and were afraid to come near him. (Ex. 34:30).

We shouldn"t therefore remain the same as we stay in fellowship with God, but should expect to take on His attributes, qualities and characteristics; such as the following:

a. Boldness. “But the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Prov. 28:1c). The religious leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John, and they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13). The Bible says, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity (2 Tim. 1:7); so the church, rather than yield to the threats and intimidation of the religious leaders, asked God for boldness to speak His Word! God heard them; the Bible says, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

b. The Power to be a Witness. Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49). They were to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to Him. (Acts 1:8). Jesus never meant for us to be a witness to Him in our own strength; “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (1 Cor. 4:20). The 'early" Church understood this; and they stayed in fellowship with God through constant prayer. “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33). Paul said his speech and his preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (1 Cor. 2:4). The strength to carry out great exploits in God comes from the place of regular fellowship with Him, through prayers. (Dan. 11:32).

c. The Fragrance of Christ: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” (2 Cor. 2:14). As we spend time with God, His fragrance rubs off on us- we begin to 'smell" like God! The goal is to be used of Him to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. We can spread His fragrance of love, joy, peace, confidence, forgiveness, healing, etc; wherever we go and to all the people we interact with. Jesus usually would send His disciples ahead of Himself to where He was to go; I believe He wants to do the same with us.

We should also expect other attributes and characteristics of God to rub off on us; like His holiness, His faithfulness, His integrity, His greatness, His righteousness, etc. (Deut. 32:3-4). There should be more of the fruits of the Spirit manifesting in our lives- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23a). Jesus said we can"t bear fruit except we abide in Him- the vine; therefore, we will bear fruit if we abide in Him! We can expect His Spirit to rest upon us- “The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” (Is. 11:2).

Divine Revelation

'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jer. 33:3). There are many things that we ought to know, but do not know. For instance, we do not know what to pray as we ought to! And it isn"t automatic for God to show us those things; He said we should call to Him. The psalmist said, his desire is to dwell in God"s house; to behold His beauty and to inquire in His temple. (Ps. 27:4)

There are things we couldn"t have figured out and still can"t figure out on our own; but can only be revealed to us supernaturally. There are things our natural eyes can"t see or conceive in our minds; but can only be revealed to us by the Spirit of God. The Bible says, we have received the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (1 Cor. 2:9-12) Jesus asked His disciples who they said He was, and Peter said He was the Christ; Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 16:15-17). Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit- the Spirit of truth, when He comes; will guide them into all truth, tell them things to come and will reveal to them the things of God. (John 16:12-15). God wants to reveal His plans and purposes to us, so we can participate with Him. The Bible says as certain prophets and teachers in Antioch ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit told them to separate Barnabas and Saul for the work God has called them; and they were both released. (Acts 13:1-3). The revelation of God"s will gives purpose and direction to our lives. “If people can"t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Prov. 29:18 MSG). David said he almost stumbled and his steps almost slipped, because he was envious when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. It seemed he had walked with God in vain; and it was too painful for him, because he couldn"t understand what was going on- “Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture:” (Ps. 73:17 MSG). The psalmist said, “For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” (Ps. 18:28). God wants to enlighten our darkness. The disciples of Jesus asked Him privately why they couldn"t cast out the demon from the boy; and He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29). There was a famine during David"s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it; and He said it was because Saul killed the Gibeonites. (2 Sam. 21:1) Our spirit is the lamp, through which God enlightens our darkness- “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one"s inmost being.” (Prov. 20:27 NIV) God also wants to reveal His secrets to us, so that we can also prosper “Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear Him. He teaches them His covenant.” (Ps. 25:12-14 NLT). The NIV says, “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” The Bible says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever,” (Deut. 29:29). God is willing to share His secrets- of wealth, health, protection, longevity, etc, with us; but it seems that we are the ones to determine how much of those secrets will be revealed to us! Job recalled the days of his youth, when the secret of God was in his home; “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God"s intimate friendship blessed my house,” (Job 29:4 NIV). He said in those days he enjoyed God"s provision, His protection, His friendship, and His presence- “I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, when He lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness. When I was in my prime, God"s friendship was felt in my home. The Almighty was still with me, and my children were around me. My cows produced milk in abundance, and my groves poured out streams of olive oil.” (Job 29:1-4 NLT)

Victory Over The Devil and Negative Circumstances

God is all-knowing; therefore nothing catches Him unawares. We are not all-knowing, but as we fellowship with God in prayers; He reveals to us things that we need to know to keep ahead of the devil and circumstances- so we can be victorious life! The revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom, and the Discerning of spirits; are also very pivotal to this. A girl possessed with a spirit of divinity followed Paul and his team; announcing, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” It seemed right in the natural, but Paul, after many days, cast the spirit out of her. (Acts 16:16-18). When the king of Assyria was at war with Israel, Elisha was able to supernaturally know his plans of war and leak it to the king of Israel. When the king demanded to know who among them was the traitor, one of the of ficers replied, “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!” (2 Kings 6:12 NLT). Paul warned them that the voyage would end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also of their lives; but his warning was ignored. (Acts 27:9-12).The warning was meant to help them avoid the shipwreck and the losses ahead, if they heeded it; but they didn"t, so they had it! Paul said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship...” Thank God for His mercies, and for a praying Paul on the ship! After Elijah announced to King Ahab that there was going to be a famine in Israel for several years, the Lord told Elijah to go to the brook Kerith, where He had commanded the ravens to feed him. When the brook dried up, God told Elijah to go to Zarephath where He had commanded a widow to sustain him. (1 Kings 17:1-9). We have God"s promises for sustenance, even in famine and evil times. The Bible says, “They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough”. (Ps. 37:19 NLT). We see this also in Job 5:19c-22 (NLT); “From six disasters He will rescue you; even in the seventh, He will keep you from evil. He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war. You will be safe from slander and have no fear when destruction comes. You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you.” However, to enjoy all of these, we must learn to stay in close fellowship with God to get directions from Him. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. (Matt. 4:4). I commend you to a lifetime of fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3), through His Holy Spirit.

God bless you!